Michelle Carter To Appeal Manslaughter Conviction From Suicide By Texting Case

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Michelle Carter will appeal her manslaughter conviction, according to court documents.

In newly released documents, her attorney Joseph Cataldo has filed an intent to appeal the decision, likely moving the case to the state's supreme judicial court.

On Aug. 3, Carter was sentenced to two and a half years in jail with 15 months to be served and five years of probation. The remaining time of her sentence has been suspended until Aug. 1, 2022. Carter is also banned from profiting from the crime, including signing deals for movies, books, television shows or interviews. She has remained free as her appeal works its way through the state courts.

In June, Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Conrad Roy, her ex-boyfriend. The case centered on scores of text messages she sent him encouraging he take his own life. The two met in Florida in 2012 while they while both were on vacation with their families.

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On July 12, 2014, Roy died in the parking lot of the Fairhaven Kmart from carbon monoxide fumes from a gas-powered water pump. Texts between the two show a then-17-year-old Carter spending days encouraging Roy to end his life and telling him to get back into the truck when he began to have second thoughts.

In his decision, Judge Lawrence Moniz said that Carter telling Roy to go back into the truck, knowing that the toxic environment would likely kill him, was wanton and reckless conduct. Her failure to notify someone of Roy's location violated state law.

Image Credit: George Rizer/Boston Globe via AP Pool